Tucked in a valley, at the foot of Round Mountain, among the graceful Maples & Oaks you will find our Little Brown House. Smoke billows from the chimney seven or eight months out of the year, a river rambles nearby, sheep & cows graze in the meadows and turkey's forage along the olde stone walls.

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

~The APRIL Issue of The Little Brown House Gazette~

Greetings one and all & a very merry April 1st to you. I hope, with all of my heart, this little note finds you well & doing what you can to endure this trying time. Currently, here in Vermont, the sun is shining, the air is warming, the Robins are singing, and a soft breeze brushes past my window. At the moment the fattest Robin I have ever seen is hopping through the front yard....goodness, apparently her larder was full this winter!!!

*THE APRIL ISSUE OF THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE GAZETTE.** This issue was a serious challenge & a joy all at once...... Exactly like the state of our world right now!! Because of our stay at home orders, I was forced to redo & resize the entire issue & print it, here at home. It was a challenge, to be sure, but a challenge I am grateful to have had because now, I know it's possible! But my goodness, it was exhausting. :~).

The challenge and joy of it, really resonated with me. After all, with everything that we do, and everything that happens to us, there are lessons to be learned, things to take from it, memories to be made and yes, even joy to be found, amidst the struggles and heartache. For me, though our life is a slow and mellow one already...it has become slower still. Some of it is good, some of it is challenging...Mark & I have time to sit together in the early evening with a cocktail or cup of coffee, chat about our day (and the state of the world) and cook dinner together. Mark's 12 to 14 hour days are now 8 hour days. Yes, his paycheck will be smaller but, we have savings and we will be okay. We will spend more carefully..... and, Mark will be able to have some much needed rest. The kids are healthy and either working from home, off with pay or, still working at jobs that are taking very good care of them. Our little man (1st grandson Kurt Evan) is getting lots of extra time with his Daddy who is now home. We miss our children and grandson tremendously but we are doing what we must to stay healthy, and help to slow this out of control train, down before it wrecks.... in our neighborhood!!!

Yes...cocktails help!!! :)

We are thankful for Video chatting, text and calls And..for all of us, out here in our internet neighborhoods and communities..... we have blogs and Facebook and community groups that keep us all linked to one another. :) We are finding the good within the bad...I hope you all can find a little something goode to take from this difficult time. I wanted to mention that. I've lowered the cost of my Stitchery Guild(community of stitchers) to 1/2 price ($5.00 a month). It is a lovely place filled with friendship, stitching, hooking, punching and whatnot. We are currently preparing to do a group wool applique project, together.

If you would like to join us (it's free once you join the community), email me at Doreen@vermontharvestfolkart.com

and I will send you an invitation. **ps..you may create the group project any way you wish ~ you do not have to work in wool applique.**

One last thing before I go.... I saw this on facebook and thought..my goodness..how true is this...

~for me....I think it will be a mixture of both :)... lol.

~Maple Martini Recipe~

..show in my photo above.

2 Jiggers of Vodka (we like Tito's but any good vodka will work)

1 Jigger of pure Maple Syrup

good squeeze of fresh lemon juice. *I cut a thick slice of lemon & squeeze it all in.

Fill your shaker with ice and pour the vodka, slowly over the ice. Add the maple syrup and lemon juice, to the vodka and shake your little heart out (shake it for at least 60 second so it's really COLD). Pour into a martini glass, add a bit of lemon peel and ENJOY!

5 comments:

It a wonderful community Doreen and it’s so refreshing to be in a community of good friends❣️ No negative posts or political rants just a really nice place to be. You keep me company every day and I wake each morning looking forward to your posts! Thank you❣️❣️

Hi there cutie you!! Isn't it amazing what we find we can learn when we just have to --crazy times but always helpful to look on the bright side! You're a gem Doreen... and even though I have a hard time keeping up with everyone & everything because of what I juggle here... it's surely refreshing to read your newsletters when I can! You, Mark and your sweet family take care, be well. And I can't wait to try that Maple Martini, maybe with a batch of fresh baked Ginger cookies!♥ ~Woolly Hugs from me!

Where To Find Me

~My Creative Life, My Business..also known as..My JOB :)~

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO VISIT MY WEBSITE :).Doreen Frost is a Punch Needle Embroidery Folk Artist, Rug Hooker and teacher, who is inspired by her love of Early American art. She teaches classes all over the country and has been featured in many national publications. Doreen has a small open studio and shop in her Vermont home where she hosts holiday events, workshops and individual lessons, and sells her Vermont Harvest pattern line, finished pieces and punch needle supplies. The shop and studio are open BY APPOINTMENT. Feel free to call and make a plan to stop by. I would love to see you.

~MAY GAZETTE PROJECT~

~APRIL GAZETTE PROJECT~

MARCH GAZETTE PROJECT

FEBRUARTY GAZETTE PROJECT

JANUARY GAZETTE PROJECT

DECEMBERS GAZETTE PROJECT

~NOVEMBER'S GAZETTE PROJECT~

~OCTOBER'S GAZETTE PROJECT~

~Packaging~

I strive to put love and creativeness into everything I do...even my packaging

~Rug Hooking~

IN THE 1860's....a tin peddler named Edward FROST began designing patterns and printing them onto burlap to sell to housewives. Later, patterns began to appear, through mail order, in The Montgomery Ward catelog.

~Punch Needle Embroidery~

Miniature punch needle embroidery has been around for a very long time. Ancient Egyptians were among the first to employ this technique by using the hollow bones of birds' wings as needles. Punch needle emboidery is often referred to as "Thread Painting" due to the lovely intricate, artistic designs you are able to create.

*

I am an optimist, it doesn’t seem too much use being anything else.” ~ Winston Churchill

~The Little Brown House Stitchery Guild~

A place for us to meet, chat, share our stitching projects & finishes, recipes, our lives, and joys. We hold classes here & create group projects together. Yearly Little Brown House Gazette subscribers will receive free admission to this group, all others will pay a small monthly fee. :) Join us for a lovely place to meet and share in a safe, cozy atmosphere. You will also receive a second, free monthly project template for you to create with and bring to life in any way you wish. Email me if you would like to join the Guild. Doreen@vermontharvestfolkart.com

~Sharing My Favorite Recipes~

~My Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

My Favorite Gingerbread Cookies

**For the holidays, I like to roll these out and cut them with festive cookie cutters. For everyday use ;)..I simply roll the dough into balls, then roll the balls in sugar and bake**INGREDIENTS1/2 cup Shortening or Butter (I use butter) 1/2 cup Sugar1/2 cup Molasses 1/4 cup fresh brewed coffee (can use water if you do not have any coffee on hand) 2 1/2 cups Flour1/2 tsp. Baking Soda 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg3/4 tsp. Salt3/4 tsp. Ginger 1/8 tsp. Allspice

Preheat oven to 375* Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the coffee and molasses and mix until well combined. Mix the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Stir into wet ingredients. **DO NOT OVER- MIX them once you've added the flour** as it will make the cookies tough. Now..you can simply roll the dough into small balls, roll them in sugar, place on ungreased cookie sheet (I use a baking stone) and bake for 10-12 minutes. OR... Roll out mixture onto a floured board to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with desired cookie cutter, place on ungreased cookie sheet (or baking stone) and bake for 10-12 minutes until a light golden color (be careful not to over bake). Immediately remove from oven onto a cooling rack. Cool completely. ~Orange Maple Glaze~ In a small bowl stir together 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 TBL softened butter, 1 TBL orange juice & 1 TBL maple syrup. Drizzle cooled cookies with glaze and enjoy..YUM

~Margherita pizza~

I make this often for our summer dinner on the deck. I follow Bobby Flay's recipe. When time allows, I make my own beer crust. Click on the photo for the recipe.

HERBS ~ THEY TOUCH MY SOUL.

A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust. — Gertrude Jekyll

~Sourdough Bread Baking Journey~

My journey began on Wednesday, July 24th at 7:00 a.m.

I am just getting started on my SOURDOUGH JOURNEY but things are going wonderfully thus far. I have baked 3 loaves of lovely bread from my starter and though, my crumb is not quite where I would like it to be, (quite far off actually) I know it will get there eventually.

If you would like, follow along or better yet, join me!My starter is a combination of two different recipes that I joined together (in equal amounts) on day four when I realized doing two different starters was crazy and too much work and was just going to end up in confusion.My newly combined starter is doing wonderfully and seems to like it’s co-mingling :-).

Click on the photo to be taken to Amy Duska’s YouTube video which is the original one I started with and the reason I decided I could handle this sourdough starter creation.The other recipe I used, and subsequently combined with my original starter from Amy’s instructions, is by Joshua Weissman.Just search for Joshua Weissman, The Ultimate Sourdough Starter Guide.BOTH are great.For me, however, Amy’s is more easily understood for a novice, like myself.Good luck and oh, do be sure to let me know if you are working with a starter, or joining me on my sourdough adventures.I will be posting here, on the blog as I go along.

~From A Little Brown House Gazette

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Each month the newsletter will feature four pages (the December issue will be larger) featuring my favorite, time-tested recipes, gorgeous illustrations, my own hand-drawn images & original stories, as well as sayings, quotes, homey coziness, and seasonal cheer. AND, last but not least.... a project, featuring an original & exclusive design, for you to create. You may choose to finish the project in any way you wish, punch needle embroidery, wool applique, rug hooking, cross-stitch, hand-stitched embroidery, etc. ..the skies the limit.Essentially this will give you..... ONE NEW, EXCLUSIVE, HAND~DRAWN DESIGN FROM ME, EACH AND EVERY MONTH!! **Some issues may also include other seasonal projects as well, with full directions..you just never know the loveliness you might receive :)**

Each issue is printed on lovely aged parchment paper (which is darker than some of the photo's show...it is a very lovely cream) & will come to you neatly presented, similar to as you see here, minus the dried rose hips (they would not travel well in a paper envelope). Ribbon colors, adornments, etc. will change monthly.

Each issue will ship the first day, of the last week, of the preceding month

~Followers~

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~Me~ Just in case you wanted to put a face with the name :)

I am a mom (of two and four legged folk) a Mimi (to the most precious little man on the planet) a wife (to a very sweet man who LOVES to play practical jokes..often to my dismay)...Avid Baker, cook, gardener, Artist, rug hooker, punch needler, wool dyer and dabbler (in many different mediums). I also write short stories when they pop into my head :). I believe kindness matters, life is short and in minding one's business. Winter is my FAVORITE season, Christmas is magical and the world has so much more to offer, if we let it :).